More Jin Yong "space-filler" characters?

[Ken Cheng]

Xie Xun's son - Xie Wuji !!! Definitely a space filler.

He wasn't around long enough to fill up much space.

He came up to serve his one purpose: to give Cheung Mo Gei his name, then got off the stage just as quickly. That's all right.

Gwok Por Lo just sort of hung around like a wallflower during his ROCH appearances, which were just enough to make his do-nothingness conspicuous.

[PJ]

Except he did exist, and he did do a bunch of stuff...which puts something in his deck, at least.

Same thing can be said about Guo Polo/Polu/Pulo/Pulu. He did exist, and he did do a bunch of stuff in the novel. I would guess Yin and Guo even had about the same amount of screen time. But the point is, they were both inconsequential and forgettable characters (IMO).

[AnhHung]

Actually, even though he never appeared, he had an function. If it werent for that XX thought of his son when ZWJ was born, then XX would have killed them all. And its YSS cleverness to 'give' her son to XX and call him WuJi that made XX 'sane' again. XWJ had in fact a great role!

[Ken Cheng]

Same thing can be said about Guo Polo/Polu/Pulo/Pulu.

Not at all. Yan Yeh Wong was active on a number of fronts. Gwok Por Lo literally did nothing but stand in the background being Gwok Jing's son.

He did exist, and he did do a bunch of stuff in the novel.

Like what? Name at least three significant things that Gwok Por Lo did in ROCH that needed to be described with anything more than a sentence.

I would guess Yin and Guo even had about the same amount of screen time.

How could that be?

Yan Yeh Wong had various speaking and fighting parts sprinkled throughout HSDS. Gwok Por Lo didn't even show up until late in ROCH and his appearances were few and far between, and he didn't do much when he did appear.

But the point is, they were both inconsequential and forgettable characters (IMO).

That's debatable, but Yan's role in HSDS was nevertheless more active than Gwok Por Lo's role in ROCH.

[Felix]

Lu Guanying and his wife are kind of fillers. They're just there to distract Mu Nianci so Ouyang Ke can menace her, and then Yang Kang can have a good reason to kill him. And then they handily host the Heroes' Feast in ROCH, after which they disappear from the story altogether.

Oh, wait, they were actually the same characters from LOCH??? Wow, I never knew that.

[pannonian]

Situ Qianzhong. Gets a fair bit of monologue and dialogue, more than anyone else in the appearance he makes, but what is the point of this character? Why give him so much to say? The Peach Valley fairies' shtick is another characterisation that's unnecessary to the plot and extremely tiresome.

[Ren Wo Xing]

I agree with Ken. Yin Yewang had MUCH more screen time than Guo Polu, and was much more consequential as well. If Yin Yewang was deleted, some minor editing would have to be done to replace his parts with someone else. If Guo Polu was deleted, nothing else would need to be done.

[leorio]

Bumping up this thread because I just discovered it.

The Peach Valley fairies' shtick is another characterisation that's unnecessary to the plot and extremely tiresome.

In a screen adaptation, their antics do get really old really fast. And why does there have be so many as six, instead of, say, three?

Agree about Guo Polu. The only time he's useful is when Huang Rong throws him at Guo Jing, so that he'll be forced to catch the baby and she can block his acupoints, thereby preventing him from cutting off Guo Fu's arm. And even this "usefulness" is debatable.

[PJ]

Since no one has mentioned it, I will: "SWORD GOD" Zhuo Bufan and his cohorts.

I always thought it was "brilliant" of Jin Yong to even name these 3 guys at all, but he went further to give them titles like "SWORD GOD" and "KING OF SCALY DRAGON"! They appeared out of nowhere for reasons I'm imagine most readers could not deem consequential enough. And best of all, Zhuo received the distinguished honor of having numerous prestigious mandatory-cheering feats under his belt. And for what? They don't contribute to the story, only taking up space (albeit very enjoyably for me). I suspect Jin Yong was temporarily out of ideas for a few chapters.

We emulated/parodied this strategy to the peak in the latest RPG game, introducing one ELOC after another, nonstop, bombarding the reader with new ELOCs, who vanished within minutes and never heard from again, and just when you thought the story might be moving, here comes the next ELOC, and the cycle loops infinitely while the story doesn't get any further (yes, now you know, it was deliberate).

[kidd]

Agree about Guo Polu. The only time he's useful is when Huang Rong throws him at Guo Jing, so that he'll be forced to catch the baby and she can block his acupoints, thereby preventing him from cutting off Guo Fu's arm. And even this "usefulness" is debatable.

Wow, Huang Rong actually did that?

[Ken Cheng]

Wow, Huang Rong actually did that?

She did it. Even the ROCH '83 adaptation made sure that scene got in there.

I guess it must be an iconic scene.

[leorio]

Wow, Huang Rong actually did that?

What she does precisely, from the Wuxiapedia translation:

Guo Jing handed the baby over, his face full of regret. He then said: “Rong’er, I’m so sorry. But after Fu’er has been punished, even though handicapped, she will change as she won’t have the advantage of…”

Huang Rong nodded: “That is so!” As her hands touched the baby swaddling cloth, they suddenly dropped down to Guo Jing’s sides. She used her family’s “Orchid Brushing Accupoints” (Lan Hua Fu Xue) skills to seal his pressure points, “ Deep Pool Liquid Accupoint” (Yuan Ye Xue) on his left arm and “Capital Gate Accupoint” (Jing Men Xue) on his right arm at the same time. These two points were under Guo Jing’s arms so that he couldn’t use his Wu Gong [martial arts]. If she didn’t use such a dirty tactic, how would she be able to seal his pressure points? When Huang Rong threw the baby to her husband, she had already planned all this. Tricked by his wife, Guo Jing collapsed painfully onto the bed, unable to move.

Huang Rong picked up the baby. She removed Guo Jing’s shoes, socks, and outer clothing, placing him nicely in bed. She put a pillow under his head, making sure he could rest comfortably, and then took the command emblem from his waist. Guo Jing looked at her, his eyes wide open, yet had no way to resist. Huang Rong put the baby next to him, leaving the two gentlemen lying together, and then covered them both with a cotton blanket, saying: “Jing ge ge, today I am temporarily to blame. As soon as I’ve seen Fu’er out of city, I will come back to personally cook for you several dishes, kowtow to you three times, and admit my crime.”

[yittz]

Zhuo served his purpose to bring MuRong in alliance with the islands and caves leaders. Without him, it would have been a stalemate, with MRF, DY and WYY likely to escape. Xu Zhu would not have been godlike in internal energy. Zhuo of course served as fodder for Xu Zhu too. The other two are unnecessary, but help to strengthen the force.

The six faeries are six not three, because they represent a part of the peach tree. I guess we could just name it root stem branch.

[PJ]

Zhuo served his purpose to bring MuRong in alliance with the islands and caves leaders. Without him, it would have been a stalemate, with MRF, DY and WYY likely to escape.

It was not Zhuo Bufan, but Taoist Buping, who convinced Big Boss Wu to make alliance with Murong Fu. But really, Murong Fu could have figured out, without Mr. Buping, the same reason to help them, which was to gain their support for his kingdom-restoration efforts.

Xu Zhu would not have been godlike in internal energy

I think Big Boss Wu would have tried to kill the maid Tianshan Tonglao in any case, which was what triggered Xuzhu to save her. Zhuo et al could have been left out of the picture.